1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a user interface, process and/or architecture for a computer implemented and/or assisted system for managing varying types of data, and more particularly, a user interface, process and/or architecture that allows or provides users the ability to enter, store, retrieve, and display multiple, related groups of information in a single document.
2. Background of the Related Art
In the latter half of the twentieth century, computer systems have proven to be a powerful tool for managing large quantities of data in many different aspects of everyday life. In particular, computer-implemented data management software has given a wide variety of users an easy way to manage both numerical and narrative information. For example, software is available that allows bank personnel to manage customer account information such as deposits, withdrawals, earnings, and fees associated with individual accounts. Many types of business-related software allow companies to manage business information such as personnel records, transaction data, customer records, and financial information.
Data management programs typically contain user interfaces that display a document and contain various fields for user input. Each user input field typically represents a different category of information, and the user typically enters one piece of information per field. For example, a business application may define a "document" as an invoice, and the user interface may display fields where the user may enter products of sale that are accounted for in that invoice. The programs and their interfaces may also contain limited data validation features, such as options that check the spelling of user entries and prompts that advise the user if the format of the user's entries are improper (e.g., if the user entered a letter in a field for which only numbers are valid, the interface may prompt the user to retype the entry).
However, the prior art data management software presents several disadvantages. In particular, the user interfaces used by the existing data management software are inflexible and lack a means to display complex, interrelated data in a manner that hides the data complexity from the user. The prior art data management system user interfaces typically require all data to be displayed in a single display format or "template," and each field must be displayed regardless of whether every individual field is necessary or appropriate for the data contained in the document. Further, existing data management system user interfaces do not allow users to enter multiple instances of data in a single field.
In addition, existing data management systems have defined field sizes, and users are either restricted in the amount of data that can be entered in a field, or required to use forms that include large blank spaces to accommodate large entries regardless of whether such spaces are needed. Finally, the data validation features of existing data management system user interfaces are limited in that they may correct minor items such as typographical errors, or they may prompt the user to re-enter an item, but they contain no means to allow the user to correct, validate, or enter additional information by retrieving it from a another database on a network, and they do not allow the user to save a "draft document" so that the user can enter corrections and missing information and validate the document information at a later date.
If a user interface that avoids these disadvantages were available, data management software could have many new and useful applications. For example, law enforcement officers could use computers or hand-held electronic devices to generate complete case reports in the office, at home, in their car, or at the scene. In addition, the software driving the user interface could automatically prompt the officers to enter only the specific information necessary to document the particular type of incident.
Accordingly, we have determined that it is desirable to provide a user interface, method and/or architecture that displays complex, interrelated data in a manner that does not reveal its complexity to the user.
We have also determined that it is desirable to provide a user interface, method and/or architecture that stores the data and the display template separately, and which links the data with the template when the display is activated.
We have also determined that it is desirable to provide a user interface, method and/or architecture that automatically selects the data fields that should be displayed based on the data that the user enters.
We have also determined that it is desirable to provide a user interface, method and/or architecture that allows users to create free-flowing forms for varying sizes of entered data.
We have also determined that it is desirable to provide a user interface, method and/or architecture that allows users to enter multiple instances of data in a single field.
We have also determined that it is desirable to provide a user interface, method and/or architecture that allows the user to correct, validate, and/or enter additional information by retrieving it from a another database on a network or by saving a "draft document" and entering corrections, missing information and/or validating the information at a later date.